Operating-valve for hydraulic elevators



(No Moda.)

` J. H. GURRAN.

PERATING VALVE FR HYDRAULIC ELBVATRS.

No. 541,993. Patented July 2, 1895.

Wwf-:5555.

INVENTOR.

Wm@ M A j UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICEo JAMES H. CURRAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

OPERATING-VALVE FOR HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION-forming' part 0f Letters Patent NO. 541,993, dated July 2, 1895.

Application fled July 5, 18 94. Serial No. 516,549. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, JAMES H. CURRAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamiltonand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating-Valves for Hydraulic Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to operating-valves for hydraulic elevators. Its object is to provide a simple, reliable valve which, by a slight movement of the actuating lever, rope, or wheel in the cab, will quickly but gradually turn the supply of water on or off or stop the exhaust from the elevator cylinder so that the cab may be started in either direction and quickly stopped at any point of its travel with certainty` and without jarring or jumping. The means by which this object is attained is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in connection with which the in vention will be first fully described and then will be particularly referred to and pointed ont in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which like.

parts are indicated by similar reference-letters wherever they occur throughout the various views, Figure l is a longitudinal central sectional View of my improved device, the valves being in this view shown in the position they occupy when the supply is turned on to the elevator-cylinder to drive it upward.

j Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device, the

valves beingin a position to shut olf both the supply and exhaust ports to stop and hold the cab at rest. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the device with the Valves in position to shut olf the supply to and open the exhaust-port yfrom the cylinder to permit the cab to descend.

Referring to the parts, A is a cylinder, made preferably of brass, the opposite ends of which are secured within annular flanges a, which are secured by bolts or in any other suitable manner to cast-iron piston-chambers B. This brass tube passes through the heads of the supply-pipe C and exhaust-pipe D, which have suitable lianges c and d to receive the packing which makes the joint between the pipe and heads of the supply and exhaust pipes water-tight. The tube also passes through the head E of the pipe leading to the piston-cylinder of the elevator, (not shown,) which has similar flanges to retain the packing. The heads of thepipes C D fitted slide valve-chamhers F, having the eX- terior ports leading from the chests of the slide-valves to the piston-cylinders B.. The slide-valves G are of ordinary construction, except that their sliding surfaces barely cover the supply-ports and that'their valve-rods are coupled in such a manner that said ports are Vnever entirely covered. The purpose of this arrangement is to always keep the waterpressure upon both sides of the pistons B' and B2 to balance them in whichever position they may be placed and insure their ready starting in either direction when the valve is moved to open one port in each of the valvechests.

Upon thehead E of the supply-pipe leading to the elevatoncylinder is mounted the pillowblock or journalbearing H, in which is journaled the shaft h,which is provided with a wheel or cross-head (not shown) of the usual form, to be connected to the actuating-ropes passing 4from said wheel or cross-head into the elevator-cab, to be connected there with the customary lever, pilot-wheel, or other actuating device. Upon this shaft h is secured a cross-head I, which has wrist-pins 1I projecting fro1n`its face, upon which are hinged or journaled the pitmen or connectingrods i', which connect by swivel-joints at i2 to the valve-rods g of the slide valves G. The rods b and b2, upon which the pistons B and B2 are secured, extend into the opposite ends'of the cylinder A, and have secured on them pistons for covering or uncovering the ports leading to and from the elevator-cylinder. The rod b2 in the supply end of the device is fitted with two pistons l and 2, the said piston 2 being fitted upon the end of the rod b2 and the piston l at a sufficient distance from it to uncover the supply-port c', and the porte ICO leading to the elevator-cylinder when in the position shown in Fig. 1. The piston-rod b is also fitted with two pistons 3 and 4, the piston 3 being fitted upon the end of the rod b and the piston 4 at a sufficient distance from it to cover the exhaust-port d', as shown in Figs. l and 2. Allof the pistons upon the rods b and h2 are provided with cup-leather packings 5 of ordinary construction to make water-tight joints between the pistons and cylinders, and have disks or cylinders Iitted upon the piston-rods to hear against the back of the cup-leather packings and hold them in place.

The disks 6 within the cylinders B have inwardly-projecting tlanges G', which project from the perimeter of the 'disk 6 to abut against the rings a and stop the pistons B and B2 in their motion toward the center ot' the tube A. These flanges 6 are notched from their edges into the body of the pistons so as to permit the water from the valve-chests F to pass through in front ot the pistons to drive the pistons Band B2 toward the end of the cylinders B. The nuts or ends of the piston-rods h and b2 stop the pistons B and B2 by abutting against the cylinder-heads, leaving the ports from the valve-chests F open between the pistons and cylinder ends.l

The cylinder ends b2 are secured to the cylinders B by screws or bolts, the joints between the two being suitably packed and the cylinders B and their pistons being larger than the cylinder A. By simply removing the cylinder ends the piston-rods b and h2, with their pistons, may be Withdrawn for the purpose of supplying new cup-leather packings cr other repairs,4 without disturbing the other part of the mechanism.

I have shown the pistons B and B2 upon the outer ends of the piston-rods b and h2 made double with cup-leather packings on each piston, but a single piston would accomy plish the same result but not so satisfactorily.

In the arrangement ot' my slide-valve mechanismI have coupled the slide-valves to move but a short distance and never to completely cover the ports leading to the cylinders B, so that there is at all times a pressure upon both sides of the pistons B and B2 in order to thoroughly balance them.

As seen in Fig. 1, when the supply is turned on to the elevator-cylinder, the full pressure is against the outer end of the pistons B and B2, forcing and holding the pistons upon rod b2 upon'opposite sides of the supply-ports c and e leading to the elevator-cylinder, while the pistons 3 and 4 cover the exhaust-port d. When the valves are turned to the position shown in Fig. 2, it will be seen that the pressure is relieved from the outer face of the piston B2 and thrown upon its inner face, thus driving the pistons l and 2 upon opposite sides of the supply-port c', while the piston B is still held in the same position as in Fig. 1, covering the exhaust-port d', the cross-head I is brought to its central position, but leav` ing all of the ports, exhaust and supply, partially uncovered. When the Valves and pistons are brought to the position shown in Fig.

v3, the full pressureis thrown against the inner face of the pistons B and B2, driving the piston B to the outer end of the cylinder, uncovering the exhaust-port d', but holding the pistons B2 and 1 and 2 in the same position as in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the pistons actuating the supply and exhaust ports moveindependentlyof each other, while the slide-valves controlling the supply and exhaust from the cylinders B move simultaneously. v

In practice, the cylinders B are made larger than the cylinder A, usually about one-third larger. For instance, if the cylinders B are six inches in diameter the cylinder A should be about tour inches, the greater area of the actuating-pistons B and B2 being sufficient to overcome the pressure on the smaller pistons 1, 2, 3, and 4. By reason ot the slide-valves havingaslightlead,sayot about one-sixteenth of an inch, the constant pressureis maintained on the pistons B and B2, so that a slight movement of the rock-shaft h in either direction instantly starts the desired piston upon its travels. The exhaust-ports in the chests F beinggradually uncovered prevents the too sudden starting of the pistons, and, should it be found that the operating-valves are opened too suddenly, the pipe leading from the exhaust-ports of the chests F may be titted with a regulating-cock to graduate the exhaust vfrom the cylinders B.

By reason of mounting the supply-pistons 1 and 2 and the exhaust-pistons 3 and 4 upon separate rods to be actuated by separate valves, the wear uponthe cup-leather packings is reduced one-half over devices in which all the pistons are mounted upon a single rod, and, as the pistons upon each side of the sup` ply move independently ot' those upon the opposite side, the exhaust-pistons need only be far enough apart to-cover the exhaust-port, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, and their travel is but one-half of that of pistons all mounted upon a single shaft. The device is therefore lmore compact and Subj ect to less wear than those in common use.

It is obvious that many mere mechanical changes may be made in the device without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, and

Vithout limiting myself to the precise details of construction shown, what I claim is-- 1. In a valve operating device for hydraulic elevators, the combination of the supply pipe,

the pipe leading to the elevator cylinder and the exhaust pipe, the central cylinder passing through the heads'of said pipes, large cylinders at each end of said central cylinder, actuating pistons in said larger cylinders having rods extending into the ends of the central cylinder,pistons on one of said rods to cover or uncover a supply port leading to the elevator cylinder, and similar pistons upon the IOO ICL'

IIO

opposite rod to cover or uncover the exhaust port, slide valves mounted upon the end cylinders to control the movement of the pistons, the rock shaft mounted in bearings between the slide valves, a crosshead supported on said rock shaft, wrist pins projecting from said cross head, and the rods connecting said wrist pins with the slide valves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, of the piston cylinder for controlling the supply of Water to and its exhaust from the elevator cylinder, larger cylinders at the ends of said cylinder, actuating pistons in each of said larger cylinders, each having a valve rod extending into the ends of the intermediate cylinder, actuating j pistons secured upon the outer ends of said rods within the larger cylinders and having inwardly extended notched annular lianges to abut againstthe end of the inner cylinder and limit the inward motion of said pistons, pistons mounted upon one of said rods to cover or uncover the supply to the elevator cylinder, and upon the opposite rod to cover or uncover the exhaust port, said pistons being provided with cup leather packings, the valve chests, F, mounted Aupon the larger end cylinders, the slide valves and ports leading Y from the chests to the larger cylinders, the

rock shaft mounted between said slide valves,

cross head secured upon said rock shaft and` upon said cylinders, B, theI actuating pistons,

B and B2, fitted to slide within the cylinders, B, the said pistons having inwardly extended notched Iianges to bear against therface of the rings, a, and limit the inward motion of said pistons, the piston rod,b, secured in the actuating piston, B', the pistons, 3 and 4:, secured upon said rod, the piston rod, b2, secured centrally in the piston, B2, and having the pistons l and 2 secured upon it, the pillow block or bearing, H, secured upon the head, iE, the rock shaft mounted in said bearings, the cross head, I, secured upon said rock shaft, wrist pins, i, projecting from the face of said. cross head upon opposite sides of the rock shaft, the valve rods, g, of the slide valves project- `,ing in the direction of said cross head, and

the pitman, t", connecting the Wrist pins and valve rods, substantially as shown and clescribed. t 4

4. The combination of the central cylinder, A, the larger cylinders, B, secured at each end of said cylinder, the actuating pistons, B'and B2, having independent Valve rods, b and b2, projecting from the said cylinder, A, the supply and exhaust pistons secured respectively upon said rods, valve chests mounted upon the cylinders of the actuating pistons, slide valves in said chests, and means such as shown for actuating said slide val ves simultaneously in opposite directions, substantially as shown and described.

JAMES H. CURRAN. Witnesses:

GEO. J. MURRAY, FRANK S. DAVIS. 

